The following are some basic resources for finding information about non-Canadian companies and their competitors. The list is not exhaustive. If you do not find what you are looking for, please contact Katharine Ball at (519) 253-3000, ext. 3852. Some of the resources are freely available on the web. Others are Leddy Library subscriptions; if you are off-campus, you will have to sign on with your University of Windsor ID and email password.
Company Website
is the obvious place to start. Once at the website, look for headings such as Company Profile, Investor Relations, Corporate Governance. For public companies, you should find their annual reports, quarterly reports, financial statements, and information on their history, philosophy, operations, products/services, etc.
Business Source Complete and Proquest One Business
Type the name of your company in the search box. Limit by date, if appropriate. You will find articles about your company and company profiles for larger companies.
Mergent Intellect
Includes public and private Canadian, U.S. and international companies; allows you to create lists of companies by location, industry, and size; a variety of download options are available. For each company there is information such as financial data, key business ratios, competitors, industry profiles, and lists of officers and directors, including some biographical profiles; on the main search page, untick the box for U.S. company results only. Mergent Intellect also contains the Dun and Bradstreet Key Business Ratios.
Mergent Online
Company financial data, Investext Investment Reports, Horizon Global: supply chain information.
Compustat (via WRDS)
Very detailed financial information. For North American companies: annual data 1950 onwards, quarterly data 1962 onwards, segment data 1978 onwards, monthly stock prices and dividend history 1962 onwards; Non-North American companies: annual data 1987 onwards, quarterly data 1995 onwards, securities information 1989 onwards.
Passport
Reports and data on larger consumer-oriented companies; information includes an overview, competitive positioning, strategic direction, and branding information. Type the name of your company into the search box in the top right-hand corner.
Mergent Archives
Historical company and industry information; digitized Mergent Manuals, Ford Equity Research Reports, annual reports and the industry report collection.
Additional Resources For U.S. Companies
CRSP (via WRDS)
Historical stock information for U.S. public companies.
EDGAR (U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission)
Disclosure documents for U.S. public companies from 1996 onwards
ThomasNet
Focus on industrial suppliers and manufacturers; can be used to find companies/competitors that produce very specialized products.
Historical Annual Reports
For over 800 U.S. companies; 1844 onwards
Updated November 2022
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